Association Between Aggression and Internet Gaming Addiction in Adolescents: Mediation effect of Father-Adolescent Communication style in the Republic of Korea (2018)

Abstract

Objectives:

Open and supportive communication between parents and children is known to reduce adolescents’ delinquent behavior. Recently, risk of Internet gaming addiction is increasing in adolescents. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effects of parent – child communication methods on the relationship between adolescent aggressiveness and risk of Internet gaming addiction.

Methods:

Participants of this study were 402 the 1st grade students from four junior high schools in Seoul who enrolled in the Internet user Cohort for Unbiased Recognition of gaming disorder in Early adolescence (iCURE) and completed baseline assessment in 2016. The structural equation model was constructed based on aggression questionnaire (AQ), the Internet Game Use-Elicited Symptom Screen (IGUESS), mother-child communication inventory (mPACI), and Father-child communication inventory (fPACI).

Results:

The results showed that adolescents’ aggressiveness was related to risk of Internet gaming addiction. Father – child communication method mediated the relationship between aggression and risk of internet gaming addiction. However, mother – child communication method had no mediating effect.

Conclusion:

Our finding suggested that the father should make an effort to improve open and positive communication skill with their children, because father-child communication method played an important role in the relationship between adolescent aggressiveness and risk of internet gaming addiction.